when is a tank ready for fish?

[Joshthenosh]

my 16 gla nano was cycled for a week and the clean up crew are in and a leather coral they all seem happy, when should i put my fish in?

thinking about 2 perc clowns, and either a royal gramma, a purple dottyback, fire fish, or some other type of goby

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hang on there Josh. That is a bunch of fish for a 16. It is not like FW where you can pack them in. I'd go with the Royal Gramma for that size tank. If everything is OK after a month or two then try one more small fish. That is about all your tank can support. Clowns grow too big for anything less than a 30.

 

[Joshthenosh]

i want clowns! im not sure if euro gallons n us gallons are diffrent? but i see clowns in tanks my size all the time

 

[Joshthenosh]

oh sorry but when u think i can put my first fish in?

my params are

amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25
Sg 1.025
temp 78

 

[keeperofthefish]

People who put clowns in tanks your size will end up with stunted or dead fish. Clowns can live a decade or more. If they live less than that, you as an aquarist are doing a less than adequate job of caring for them. Even if you want to do nearly 100% water changes every week, that tank is not suitable for clowns. A royal gramma and another small fish (a firefish, perhaps--but avoid purple ones with the gramma in there) would be a great choice.

 

[Joshthenosh]

still aint answered the question

bidding on e bay for a 39 gal tank now

 

[vonodie1]

I am a noob, so take this with a grain of salt. Everything that I have read from other posters; you should make sure that you ammonia and nitrite readings are at zero for at least a week, two or three would be better.

HTH

 

[tbettis]

whole up a minute and think. dont rush.

 

[zimmy1979]

IMHO I would wait another 2 or 3 weeks while you continue to do water changes and monitor your tank then add 1 fish..rinse and repeat.

 

[Joshthenosh]

ok will do thanks